Description
As well as their wild, craggy landscape, the Highlands of Scotland are celebrated for their wealth of ancient castles. Monumental evidence of the region’s turbulent past, these historic fortresses provide a fascinating insight into the long and intriguing story of the mountainous north. Join a Scottish historian on a virtual road-trip around the Highlands of Scotland in search of the region’s most beautiful and historic ancient castles.
In this interactive online seminar, which will take the form of an imaginary road-trip around the north of Scotland, we will explore a selection of the castles found in the Highlands, including both majestic ruins and fine stately homes. Some of them, such as Eilean Donan Castle, are internationally famous, although this much-loved and much-photographed building is not what it at first appears. Others, such as Castle Sinclair and the Castle of Old Wick, are less famous but well worth a ‘virtual’ visit, both of them perched on high clifftops along one of the most dramatic stretches of Britain’s coastline.
While many of these castles were deserted centuries ago, the magnificent Dunrobin Castle has developed from an austere medieval fortress into an elaborate Victorian mansion, its fairytale turrets, and towers overlooking elegant formal gardens. The five-hundred-year-old Dornoch Castle, meanwhile, has been converted into a hotel, offering castle lovers the opportunity to live like a Highland laird, for a couple of nights at least.
Led by a Scottish historian and self-confessed ‘castle nerd’, this interactive seminar will explore a diverse selection of the most interesting castles of the Scottish Highlands, discussing both the architecture of the buildings and the stories of the people who inhabited them. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an insight into the history of several of the north of Scotland’s most romantic ancient monuments.
About Your Expert
Alan Montgomery was born and raised in Scotland but has spent most of his adult life in London. Having achieved an MA in Art History at Glasgow University, he worked for many years in the art world at both an international auction house and an antique dealer. In recent years he has returned to academia, achieving an MA in Classical Civilisation in 2011, and has recently completed a Ph.D. in which he analyzed eighteenth-century attitudes towards the ancient Roman world. In addition to his work for Context Travel, Alan also writes catalog essays on Contemporary Art for a leading auctioneer. Elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 2017, his first book, entitled 'Classical Caledonia', was published by Edinburgh University Press in August 2020.
Audience
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
Duration
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
